


The Pull of Fate or The Will of Man

by ericsonclan



Series: Cherry Blossoms and Muted Voices [8]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, F/F, Friendship, Gen, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, On the Run, Pining, Police, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25880686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Prisha, Violet and Louis continue to be on the run sharing stories along the way to pass the time and bring up an interesting question. Do you believe in Fate?
Relationships: Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Prisha/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Cherry Blossoms and Muted Voices [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863499
Kudos: 5





	The Pull of Fate or The Will of Man

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

It seemed like a blessing when the samurai decided to join the pair. Not only did she bring food and money for the journey but also information. She had warned Violet and Louis to no longer go into towns since they appeared on local maps and instead focus on going into villages or stay outside under the protection of the stars. It seemed like wise advice considering the one time the police had found them was in the town of Shizawa. As for the Sato Clan, they would just have to be careful and keep the rules that Violet had set in place. Never stay at a place more than a few days and be as discreet as possible when there. As soon as morning had come after the trio had escaped, Prisha had been straightforward and honest that she had surmised that Violet was part of the Sato Clan. And so giving Prisha the honesty and respect she deserved, Violet told the samurai about the pair’s meeting and how from there they had ended up on the run. Prisha didn’t seem fazed by the story and instead seemed to be sympathetic to the two of them. So the trio continued on their long journey that had no end in sight.

Violet and Louis enjoyed the samurai’s company and before they knew it a month had passed with Prisha walking alongside them. They had just finished packing up their simple and few belongings and were about to head out of the village when something caught Prisha’s attention. Excusing herself from her two companions, she strode forward towards the center area of the village. She returned a few minutes later with a pile of peaches.

“I figure it would be nice to have something to eat while we traveled further west,” Prisha offered Louis a peach which he accepted with an excited smile. He immediately bit into the fruit, letting out a happy cry when the flavor overtook his mouth. A gentle smile pulled on the corner of Prisha’s lips before she turned to face Violet. “Would you care for one?”

Violet gave a simple nod and grabbed a peach. “Thanks,”

“Think nothing of it,” 

Prisha’s smile made Violet heart race slightly. She turned quickly as she began to walk forward. “We should probably get going.”

“Of course,” Prisha started to walk in between Louis and Violet. Louis seemed absolutely entranced by the juiciness and sweetness of the peach. Within the first few minutes of walking he had already grabbed another peach from the small handkerchief that Prisha had brought along. The trio walked in calming silence, the only sound being the clinking of the samurai’s katana against her hip.

“So,” Prisha looked over at Louis, “Care for another tale?” 

Louis looked up at the samurai, the peach still in his mouth as he nodded excitedly.

“What about you, Violet?” Prisha’s words caused her to glance up.

“Yeah, sounds nice.” Violet mumbled before looking back down at the first road. 

Prisha seemed pleased by that and looked at the road ahead of them. _What tale should I tell this time?_ In truth she was slowly running out of them. But she knew she still had a few left. As her mind wandered through the different tales that were stored within it, her eyes wandered down to the peach that was still in her hand. Of course!

“Alright. I shall tell the tale of Momotaro.”

Louis immediately perked up at the sound of that. Spitting out his peach into his right hand, he began to sign with one hand. Prisha had been starting to learn sign language, but with the limit of one hand her signing was limited. 

“He’s happy,” Violet stated with a kind smile. “Says it’s a favorite of his.”

“Well then, I hope I do it justice,” Prisha cleared her throat. “Now once upon a time in the fair land of Japan lived in the countryside an old man and his wife. They were a lonely pair since they never had children. Now one day when the old man was chopping wood his wife decided to wash their clothes and no sooner did she began to do so when she noticed a giant peach floating in the water,” 

Prisha’s eyes practically sparkled with joy whenever she told a tale. It was clear that she had been wanting to share the stories with others in the way that she had always hoped to but never could in her childhood. Whenever she told a tale her voice took on a warm, comforting tone to it, making the listeners be drawn into the world she was setting. Violet couldn’t help but be entranced as she watched the samurai tell the tale. How Prisha crouched slightly when she got to a big reveal. How she shot her hand out and dramatically retold the tale. Her voice ebbing and flowing with the pull of the story. But most of all Violet found herself staring at the samurai’s smile as she spoke. 

Violet shook her head and glanced away. She didn’t have time for whatever these feelings were. All that mattered was their survival. But still… Violet smiled back over at Prisha. It wouldn’t hurt to listen to her stories. 

Prisha continued on with her tale, revealing that the peach wasn’t simply a fruit but when the old woman had retrieved the peach and cut it open back home it revealed a baby boy inside. From there the old couple had decided to raise the child as their own. “They decided to name him Momotaro, meaning “peach boy” since he was born from the peach,”  
Louis seemed to be absolutely lost in the fictional world Prisha was telling, his eyes following her hand as she gestured along with the story. She told about how fifteen years had passed and how Momotaro wanted to help provide for his family. “And so with his father's blessing he set out for Ogre Island in hopes that he would find the treasure and bring it back. It was when he reached the sea that he ran into a spotted dog who bared her fangs and lashed out at him.” Prisha’s voice began low and serious. “It was at that moment that Momotaro decided to offer the dog one of his spare dumplings which the dog accepted happily. When the boy told of his quest to Ogre Island, the dog decided to come along with him.” 

Prisha smiled over at Louis who was bouncing excitedly. It was obvious that he was really excited to meet the different companions in the tale. Prisha glanced over at Violet who seemed just as interested in the tale before continuing once again. “The pair made their way further down the path when they suddenly ran into a monkey who the spotted dog seemed to distrust until Momotaro started to explain his story. The monkey seemed intrigued and asked if she may come along as well. To which Momotaro smiled and offered a dumpling as he nodded. With that Momotaro was off once more now with two companions by his side.When all of a sudden they ran into a pheasant who seemed to not get along with Momotaro’s companions. The three were about to start fighting when Momoato stepped forward and told the pheasant of his journey. The pheasant seemed moved by the story and asked if she may come along as well. Momotaro gave a dumpling to the pheasant and the four started to make their long journey towards the edge of the sea.” 

Prisha took a break from the tale to enjoy the peach that she had. After a few minutes she had finished the peach and looking between her two companions she could tell that they were anxious to hear the rest of the tale. With a light-hearted chuckle she continued. 

“Momotaro with the help of his friends built a boat and they sailed over to the island. There the pheasant flew up in the air and attacked the ogres, pecking their heads and eyes!” Prisha dramatically told this part, getting into each companion’s different attacks. “The monkey took advantage of the situation and opened up the gate for the others. When the gate was open the spotted dog rushed the ogre, biting and tearing at them. Momotaro joined in the battle as well, swinging his sword strong and proud to help defeat the ogres. Soon the ogres had admitted defeat and after piling the treasures high, Momotaro and his friends went back and lived a long peaceful life.” When Prisha had finished the tale, Louis gave a round of applause while Violet gave a few claps as well.

Prisha awkwardly played with the tip of her braid, clearly pleased that her storytelling had moved her companions. “Thank you. I hope it wasn’t a bad interpretation of the tale.” 

Louis shook his head energetically before giving a thumbs up.

“Yeah, it was a really good story,” Violet’s words made Prisha’s smile grow as the samurai looked forward at the road. They had been traveling for quite some time. 

“Do either of you know any tales or folk stories?” Prisha asked, causing Louis and Violet to think about their answer.

“I only know a few,” Violet rubbed the back of her neck. “Mostly war related ones, some other ones too but those are pretty sad,”

Louis waved his hands to get the other two’s attention. _I have one._

“Okay, go ahead,” Violet smiled over at Louis who began to tell his tale. It took a few guesses to figure out from his hand gestures and motions that he was telling a story about kitsune. It was a wild story of an old kitsune who grew bored of its various mischievous games and decided to use its shapeshifting ability to bring chaos to a mortal’s life before sucking the life force out of him. Louis was rather impressive at telling the tale. His exaggerated and over the top performance seemed to sell the moments even if it sometimes took the samurai and ex-yakuza some time to figure out certain sections of it. Prisha and Violet laughed along as they heard the tale, getting drawn into different parts until Louis ended with a dramatic flair. 

“That was quite the tale you told,” Prisha’s compliment made Louis give a small bow.

“Alright, well now I guess we have two storytellers in the group,” Violet noted.

“I don’t know. I for one would be intrigued to hear a tale told by you sometime,” 

Louis nodded in agreement to the samurai’s words. 

Prisha’s eyes locked with Violet for a moment before Violet looked away, overwhelmed. 

“Maybe someday,” Violet glanced up at the changing colors in the sky. “For now we should find a place to rest for the night,”

“Alright,” Prisha stopped in her tracks to scan the surrounding area. “Over there,” She pointed to a large tree. “It’s not the most ideal but it should work.”

Violet nodded and guided the others to their resting spot for the night. It didn’t take long for Louis to claim his spot and start to drift off. Within minutes the dreadlocked boy was asleep, a small smile pulled on the edges of his lips while a stray dreadlock blew up as he exhaled. Violet sat beside him and rested her right hand on her knee as she looked at the setting sun. 

“Seems storytelling really took it out of him,” Prisha sat down beside Violet, placing her katana against her leg as she leaned against the trunk of the tree. 

“Looks like it,” Violet looked over at Louis and shook her head. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips but immediately disappeared as she stared at the orange red sky above her. Prisha stared at Violet for a moment before casting her gaze downward. Her hand casually pulled at the different pieces of grass beneath her. The two sat in silence for a while. Taking in the peaceful moment while their minds spun with different unanswered questions. 

Violet looked over at Louis and felt her heart fall slightly at the sight. It had been over two months now since they had been on the run and it seemed as if no end was in sight. How could it be when they seemed to be gathering more enemies than getting rid of them?

“So, how far do you plan to go down this road?” Prisha’s voice drew Violet’s attention. The samurai’s eyes held a level of seriousness to them.

“If by ‘road’ you mean being on the run, then however long it fucking takes,” 

Prisha gave a simple nod. She wasn’t sure what else to add. An air of silence took over the pair when Prisha spoke. “I shall accompany you both for however long you will allow me too.”

Violet’s eyes widened then softened. She knew how she wanted to respond but she didn’t think it was important enough to say. Violet looked back at Louis only to pause when she noticed he was shivering. With a long sigh she took off her kimono coat and tossed it over Louis. He wrapped his arms around it, his smile widening as he shifted in his sleep. Violet was about to lean back against the tree when she felt Prisha’s eyes upon her back.

“My apologies,” Prisha glanced away from Violet’s back, feeling bad that she had originally looked upon it to study the tattoo but lingered for a moment too long after she had successfully seen it. 

“It’s fine,” Violet leaned her back against the tree trunk once more. 

“It’s not uncommon that I know of for yakuza to have tattoos but I’ve rarely heard of such extensive back tattoos.” Prisha glanced over at Violet before returning her gaze up to the sky that was now turning a deep blue. 

Violet gave a soft laugh. “Well it’s not common for grunts to have them, but it seems like everyone in the higher ranks got one,” 

Prisha studied Violet’s expression and noticed that it wasn’t true for the ex-yakuza. “But not you,”

“No. I couldn’t give a shit about what I was supposed to do to climb the ranks. Or what was normal for those of higher ranks to do.” Violet’s head fell upon her knees. 

“So then why?” The samurai leaned forward. 

“I don’t know,” Violet’s eyes searched the starry sky. “The tattoo artist swore they saw my destiny and for some reason I agreed to have it tattooed on my back. Talked about the ‘weight’ of it or some shit.”

“Yet you don’t believe in fate or destiny, do you,” Prisha looked over at Violet who locked eyes for a few seconds before gazing upon the stars again. 

“I guess I’m pretty easy to read. No, I don't. I've always believed that your choices shape your life, not some mysterious thing like fate,” Violet took a deep breath and lifted up her head, tilting it against the trunk. “If you want something, truly believe it's right, then you have to reach out your hand,” Violet extended her hand out to the sky and clenched her fist. “And take it.” 

Prisha looked on in awe at the ex-yakuza’s statement. A confident and brilliant aura surrounded her. It seemed true to who she knew Violet to be. Silently she rose to her feet. Violet’s hand fell as she looked up at Prisha. 

“I’ll take watch on the other side,” Without giving Violet a moment to respond, the samurai left. Leaving Violet alone with the starry sky. Her eyes watched it carefully for a few moments before sleep swept over her. 

The trio rose up early the next morning, immediately starting their trek to the next village. According to the information that they had gathered at their last stop, they should only be about half a day’s walk away. With that hope in mind, they headed out. Louis immediately seemed happy as he bounced with each step he took. He started to beg Violet to tell one of her stories, nudging her side playfully but Violet sidestepped it. 

“Stop it, I’ll tell it whenever I want to and it sure as hell isn’t now.” Louis’ face fell but Violet wasn’t going to budge. She wasn’t in the mood and she was sure she probably never would be with her confidence in her storytelling abilities. An awkward silence covered the three as they continued to walk, occasionally eating what food they had left while small conversations sparked here and there but didn’t really lead anywhere. 

Prisha kept catching herself staring at Violet and ever so often her eyes wandered to the back of her kimono coat.

“I used to believe in fate,” The samurai’s words drew the others’ attention. “For many years I simply assumed it was what was right to believe as it was presented before me as such.” Prisha’s hand curled into a fist for a second as her eyes hardened. “But I learned after many years that it was a suffocating way of thinking. It held no truth,” Her head fell, her next words escaping her lips softly. “I couldn’t allow it to control me,” Prisha took a deep breath. “Soon I realized that anything worthwhile in my life would be earned with my own hand.” Prisha’s gaze turned to her left sleeve before continuing. “Fate has no say in my life.”

Violet nodded along, in clear agreement with the samurai when she heard the crinkling of paper appear beside her. Looking over, she noticed Louis had scratched down something. 

_I believe in fate. It makes it feel like everything has a reason._

“Yeah, I guess.” Violet shrugged. 

Louis seemed upset by her answer. He ran forward and blocked their way. His finger pointed out at Violet then back at himself then taking his two index fingers, he wrapped them around each. _Friendship._ Then he pointed between the two of them before wrapping his index fingers together. He pointed to the word “fate”. It took only a moment for Violet to register what he was saying, causing her eyes to widen. He truly believed fate had brought them together as friends. She felt her emotions overwhelm her. Violet took a shaky breath before walking forward. “Alright, maybe you have a point.”

Louis beamed at those words and quickly caught up with Violet and Prisha as they made their way to the next village. 

\----

Clementine could feel her anger slipping deeper and deeper within her. Her eyes searched desperately for a sign as to where the yakuza was taking Louis, but it seemed like her leads were coming up short ever since Shizawa. _Damn it!_ Clementine slammed her hands on the table and let her head fall. Why had she trusted the word of that traveling merchant? Now she was two months deep in this investigation with no true leads and a worried friend of the hostage who seemed to always be concerned and kept showing up to try and help. But he was no help, at least, not in a way that would progress the case. Clementine took a deep breath that did nothing to calm herself and returned her gaze to the map. Just where the hell did they disappear to?

Suddenly a loud slam was heard from across the room. The chief’s door was wide open as he scanned the room with a scowl, only to stop when he saw Clementine. “Detective Everett, my office, now!”

Clementine felt her heart stop. She knew that only bad things awaited her there. Nonetheless she willed her feet to move forward, slowly moving her closer to what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation.


End file.
